Published: Monday, February 4, 2013 at 5:37 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, February 4, 2013 at 5:37 p.m.

SARASOTA - The National Weather Service will issue warnings about harmful red tide blooms, following the latest one that brought dead fish and noxious air to the Southwest Florida beaches.

Working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Sarasota's Mote Marine Laboratory, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to update the public on red tide through its weather radio and National Weather Service systems.

NOAA's new push to notify the public about red tide comes as a bloom lingers in the Gulf of Mexico, with the worst concentrations reported in Charlotte County and farther south.

Last month, high concentrations in Sarasota and Manatee counties led fish kills and breathing troubles for beachgoers as far north as Holmes Beach.

Though the weather service has issued experimental alerts on beach hazards such as rip tides since June, there has previously been no comprehensive update that also included red tide conditions.

Red tide is caused by a harmful bloom of the algae Karenia brevis and indiscriminately kills ocean life. It also causes acute respiratory problems for humans and can be especially harmful for people suffering from asthma, emphysema or other chronic respiratory conditions.

Mote Marine and Fish and Wildlife track and collect data on red tide, which is available to the public, and share their findings to the National Weather Service. National Weather Service alerts are widely disseminated, including through private forecasters.

<p><em>SARASOTA</em> - The National Weather Service will issue warnings about harmful red tide blooms, following the latest one that brought dead fish and noxious air to the Southwest Florida beaches.</p><p>Working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Sarasota's Mote Marine Laboratory, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to update the public on red tide through its weather radio and National Weather Service systems.</p><p>NOAA's new push to notify the public about red tide comes as a bloom lingers in the Gulf of Mexico, with the worst concentrations reported in Charlotte County and farther south.</p><p>Last month, high concentrations in Sarasota and Manatee counties led fish kills and breathing troubles for beachgoers as far north as Holmes Beach.</p><p>Though the weather service has issued experimental alerts on beach hazards such as rip tides since June, there has previously been no comprehensive update that also included red tide conditions.</p><p>Red tide is caused by a harmful bloom of the algae Karenia brevis and indiscriminately kills ocean life. It also causes acute respiratory problems for humans and can be especially harmful for people suffering from asthma, emphysema or other chronic respiratory conditions.</p><p>Mote Marine and Fish and Wildlife track and collect data on red tide, which is available to the public, and share their findings to the National Weather Service. National Weather Service alerts are widely disseminated, including through private forecasters.</p>